Yuln's eyes flutter a bit then open weakly. "Rolly, is that you? Did they get away with Lady Argentea?" Yuln grimaces in pain as he lifts his head just enough to see his wounds. "Ugh, they got me good, didn't they?"
"Who? Who got you?" Mara gently asks the injured man as she kneels next to him, tending his wounds.
"And who's Lady Argentea?" she asks, looking up at Rolly.
"Who? Who got you?" Mara gently asks the injured man as she kneels next to him, tending his wounds.
"And who's Lady Argentea?" she asks, looking up at Rolly.
"At first it was just bandits, outlaws from the forest. We were having an easy enough time with them, but then came the cold fey of the north. They appeared amoung us and the battle turned quickly. My people speak of the winter touched all of the time, but I never expected to see them this far south."
"Lady Argentea's who we were escortin' to Zimar." At Yuln's tale, he exclaims, "Cold fey? Really? You know, Yuln, if it wasn't fer yer wounds and the frostbite, I'd think ya was goin' loopy."
Mara's expression turns introspective for a moment at mention of the cold fey of the north. "Sounds like your Lady Argentea's in danger," she says to Rolly and Ben, genuine concern evident in her tone. "What do you plan to do about it?"
"Wellll.... guess we go after her, neh?", Ben says reluctantly. "We ain't exactly knights in shinin' armor, but we'll have to do for this one."
"And hope fer a nice payday for the trouble..."
Yuln looks up at the foursome with a hopeful look. "You mean to go after her then? Here, you'll need my sw.. Yuln reaches down to his side, his fingers scraping at nothing. Blast! I must've dropped my sword when I was trying to make my way back here. It was cold iron, the only thing that hurt those little beasties.
"Ah, well that's just loverly. Alright Yuln, you rest up an' give our regards to the troll-witch. We'll cut ye in on the reward money once it's forthcomin', don't ye fret. A finder's fee coupled with hazard pay we'll call it, neh?"
Ben clasps Yuln's wrist and pats himself down to be sure he's not forgetting anything.
"Fortunate fer our fair lady that we're drunk enough to be heroic! Lead on, Gyl, we'll keep up."
"Eh, don't be sheepish girl. One of you four should keep it. Use it to slice off the wings of one of those creatures and it'll be worth every copper I paid for it.
If, you want a place to start, they ambushed us on the road 6 or 7 miles south of town. You may be able to track them from there a little easier."
"Before we go headin' off, do they sell any more a them iron weapons here? Maybe if we can grab a few arrows or an axe it'll be useful."
"Before we go headin' off, do they sell any more a them iron weapons here? Maybe if we can grab a few arrows or an axe it'll be useful."
Knowledge-local:
"Awright, I'll make a quick run to the weaponsmith and check anyway. why don't the rest of ya get ready and I'll meet ya on the road outta town. I won't be long!" I'm assuming Rolly would be able to find out where the weaponsmith is pretty quick; he'll ask around if need be, although he'll take 10 on a Knowledge local check (it's untrained, meaning he can make the DC 10 limit for those).
Rolly remembers picking up a whetstone last time he was in town from a man named Isker. There were a few swords hanging on the wall too if he remembers correctly. Maybe he's got a few cold Iron weapons laying around too?
When Rolly arrives at the blacksmith shop, he is greeted by a young woman is a leather smiths apron. She is working behind a bench, a pair of pliers in one hand, a small patch of chainmail in the other.
"Hello sir! I haven't seen you around before. Stop by for some hardware or tools? " Her eyes linger for a moment on your axe. "Or weapons and armor!?" she adds excitedly.
Rolly remembers picking up a whetstone last time he was in town from a man named Isker. There were a few swords hanging on the wall too if he remembers correctly. Maybe he's got a few cold Iron weapons laying around too?
When Rolly arrives at the blacksmith shop, he is greeted by a young woman is a leather smiths apron. She is working behind a bench, a pair of pliers in one hand, a small patch of chainmail in the other.
"Hello sir! I haven't seen you around before. Stop by for some hardware or tools? " Her eyes linger for a moment on your axe. "Or weapons and armor!?" she adds excitedly.
"Yeah, I'm lookin' fer some weapons, lass! Iron ... cold iron weapons if ya got 'em. An' I'm in a little bit of a hurry, so I can't wait fer ya to make any; sorry. I'm hopin' maybe ya got some already made?"
Meanwhile, Gylwinth smiles shily at Ben, not sure how to break the growing silence.
"Oh for goodness' sake, Gylwinth. Buy him a drink if you want him to talk to you," Mara mutters good-naturedly to the nature priestess, and then shoves two full wine goblets into the woman's hands as she turns away and heads for the stairs. "I've got to get my crossbow if we're heading out into the woods," she calls over her shoulder as she ascends the stairs.
A few moments later Mara returns to the common room with a light crossbow in-hand and a case of bolts strapped to either thigh. A silken sash lined with fine chain links covers her abdomen over her blouse, and a sickle crafted from the same metal as Yuln's sword rests at her hip. A warm scarf is looped around her neck. "Well, I'm ready," she comments. "Isn't Rolly back yet?"
"Yeah, I'm lookin' fer some weapons, lass! Iron ... cold iron weapons if ya got 'em. An' I'm in a little bit of a hurry, so I can't wait fer ya to make any; sorry. I'm hopin' maybe ya got some already made?"
"Well sure! We got three daggers at four gold each, ten bolts at two gold for the bundle, ten arrows for the same, one big ass axe for forty and we've got some super special cold iron bullets that Isker made a while back. They're magic" she adds with a whisper and a wink. "I'll give ya all ten for five hundred gold."
"That's great, hon. I'll take everything 'cept the bullets; 'fraid I ain't got the gold fer them too." Rolly will take a look at the weapons quickly, then exclaim, "They look good, lass. Thanks fer yer help!"
He then races back to join up with the others.
Meanwhile, Gylwinth smiles shily at Ben, not sure how to break the growing silence."Oh for goodness' sake, Gylwinth. Buy him a drink if you want him to talk to you," Mara mutters good-naturedly to the nature priestess, and then shoves two full wine goblets into the woman's hands as she turns away and heads for the stairs. "I've got to get my crossbow if we're heading out into the woods," she calls over her shoulder as she ascends the stairs.
A few moments later Mara returns to the common room with a light crossbow in-hand and a case of bolts strapped to either thigh. A silken sash lined with fine chain links covers her abdomen over her blouse, and a sickle crafted from the same metal as Yuln's sword rests at her hip. A warm scarf is looped around her neck. "Well, I'm ready," she comments. "Isn't Rolly back yet?"
Ben looks up from examining Yuln's sword.
"He's got pretty short legs, love, plus all that armor and kit. He'll be by shortly. So yer set to come along then, neh?"Gylwinth blushes violently and downs half the glass in one gulp, but her eyes remain locked on the table.
"And what do you do around town, love? I take you ladies are acquainted?"
Mara rolls her eyes as she attempts to stifle a chuckle at Gylwinth's stumbling attempt answer Ben's question.
"I believe what Gylwinth means is that we both help see to the health and safety of the people of the community - we've both been receiving training from Old Mother Theodora, the wise woman who gave us the potion for Yuln and then left. Gylwinth looks after the people living in the surrounding countryside and works as a guide, while I focus more on the folks living right here in town," Mara explains. "Plus my parents own this tavern," she adds.
"And yes, if something out there is threatening travelers and the people of Heldren, then I'd say we're both determined to check it out," Mara says, glancing to Gylwinth for confirmation.
With equipment purchased, and minds set, the foursome heads off south. As you move farther down the road, and closer to the Boarderwood, the air grows cooler. Six miles into your trip, you spot something ahead. It looks like a carriage.
Perception:
"Look there!" Mara hisses softly to her companions. "There's actually two carriages. See? The second one is overturned and slightly off the road. And look! Bodies littering the ground on and off the path."
"Muninn... Aerial reconnaissance, please," Mara whispers to the night-black raven perched on her shoulder. "Let's make sure this isn't some kind of ambush."
The raven bobs his head in agreement and silently takes flight, winging high over the overturned carriage and the bodies littering the ground nearby.
Sister Mara doesn't receive much from Muninn other than a few pangs of jealousy. Likely from seeing a few of his brothers enjoying a nice (if grisly) meal down below.
"Ain't about to let a bird do my job. I'll take a look from the ground.", Ben says before he creeps around the wagon.
Stealth:
Perception:
perception
"I see them, lass. Looks like quite the fight went on here. Be careful when ya look around, Ben."
"Muninn's not seeing anything other than dead bodies," Mara whispers to her companions before creeping forward after Ben.
As Ben creeps up to the massacre site, the true horror of the scene sinks in. He knows several of these men, Ben and Rolly guarded the caravan alongside them. The men all seem to have had their armor and arms stripped from them.
The toppled carriage has its door flipped open so that it's insides are exposed to the sky with clothes hanging from it's edges and wheel spokes. It's horses lie dead on the ground, still tethered to their burden.
The upright carriage seems to be more intact, though it's horses have been cut away. Oddly, there is a spear driven through the door handles, effectively locking it.
Off to the side of the road, there is an icy statue of a man kneeling. One of it's arms have broken off and is lying beside it, wielding a long sword.
A final strange though occurs to Ben, there seems to be snow on the ground here.
It was a longsword.
Ben whistles the all clear, then takes a peek through any windows on the carriage and listens against the locked door for what could possibly be locked inside.
Perception:
Rolly creep forward now, his cold iron axe held and ready. "Whatta ya see in there, Ben?"
Heavy green velvet curtains block the windows, but with the right angle, Ben is able to get a glimpse inside. He almost wishes he hadn't though. Two women stand hunched over in an apparent stupor. Their finery is marred by blood and gore. They look to have once been beautiful, but their flesh is now pallid and their eyes are cloudy with cataracts. A brownish red slash crosses each of their throats.